Electric controller.



R. VAN R. SILL. ELECTRIC GOHTROLLBR. APPLICATION IILBD SEPT. 5, 1907.RENEWED our. e, 1910.

1,030,617, Patented June 25, 1912.

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UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD VA-N R. SILL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TOALPHOITZO E. PELI-IAM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CONTROLLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 5, 1907, Serial No. 391,474. Renewed October6, 1910. Serial No. 585,706.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD VAN R. SILL,

of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Electric Controllers; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention contemplates an improved electric circuit controllingmechanism having especial reference to the pilot motor by which acontroller drum is operated.

One of the objects ofthe invention is to provide improved means forconnecting the motor with a master switch so as to insure the step bystep movement of the motor in synchronism with the master switch.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for automaticallyregulating or reversing the movement of the pilot motor in the-'event ofcareless operation or an overload upon the power motor.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the invention as adaptedto a controller drum or cylinder through which current may be fed to apower motor, but in railway or plant equipment other forms of contactsmay be used.

Figure 1 is. a diagram-of the controller and auxiliary parts and Fig. 2is a detail view of the pilot motor.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a controller cylinder shownequipped with fingers 2 adapted to engage contact plates 3 carried bythe drum 4. The drum is; secured to, and rota-table with, the rotarymember or armature of the electro magnetic pilot motor 5. By means of aspring 6 the drum may be retracted when the pilot inotor is deenergized.

The motor 5 is of peculiar construction. As shown in Fig. Qits rotarymember or armature comprises a series of sectional windings 9 theopposite pairs of which are connected ,in circuit. Each of'the coils orsectional windings is independently connected with a contact surface ofthe master switch 10. As illustrated in Fig. 1 these connections areestablished by providing the commutator 7 0f the motor with a series ofsections 8 preferably in staggered arrangement and connecting each of.thesecommutator sections with one of the armature coils or sectionalwindings 9. The sections 8' are designed to successively engage brushes8 and each of the latter is separately and successively connected byleads 13 with successive contacts 14 of the master switch 10 to whichcurrent is supplied from a trolley or third rail by a conductor 12. Asecond series of brushes 8 is also engaged by the commutator sections.and these brushes are connected by a grounded wire 8.

From the foregoing it follows that as successive contacts are made inthe opera tion of tlie master switch the current entering at 12 willflow through each of the contacts l4. successively, its respective lead13. brush 8 commutator section 8, coil 9, and brush 8 to ground, thusprogressively shift ing the polarity of the armature of the motor.

At 15 I have shown constant operatin fields or magnets which maybeenergized from any suitable source. This energy is not essential tothe normal operation of the motor, however, since-if only steel or othermagnetic metal poles be used the energized coils 9 will be attracted tothem. The power motor to which current is supplied through thecontroller is indicated at 16.

The operation resulting from the-construction thus far described will beapparent. The steps of the pilot motor and controller drum aresynchronized with those of the master switch; the current is normallyretained in the motor at all times and it is the onlyinfluence governingthe motor. If the current should be interrupted the arma ture is free toreturn to the starting point under the tension of spring 6. WVhen themotor is started by sending the current through the first contactsurface 14: of the master switch, lead 13 its brush 8*, section 8 andwinding 9 coil 19, Fig. 2, will center at the constant magnet. Thispartial rotation of the armature compresses spring 6 and if the operatorshould cut off the current from coil 19 the spring would retract thecontroller drum. The same will be true when the succeeding coil 20 isalso energized through its respective section 8 and brush and lead 13",the two coils tending to center at the constant poles. When coil 21 isalso Patented June 25, 1912.

energized through lead 13, and the three energized coils are under theinfluence of the constant magnets, then if the o erator shifts themaster switch one notch o and deenergizescoil 21, coils 20 and 19 willseek the center of the constant poles and a partial reverse rotation ofthe armature and drum will result. So, also, if the operator, instead ofcutting out only the one coil 21, should cut out both coils 20 and 21,coil 19 will seek the center of the constant poles, resulting in afurther reverse rotation of the armature and drum. Hence 'I have shownin Fig. 1 the circuits through leads 13, 13 and 13 completed throughsections 8 8 and 8, respectively, the corresponding three coils beingsimultaneously excited for the purpose above stated. Coil 19 willnecessarily be deenergized to permit coil 23 to advance. Contingenciesmay arise, however, in which the manual control will supply too muchcurrent to the power motor or in which an overload upon the power motorwill occur by a short circuit. My invention provides for thesesituations. In the form illustrated a pair of governing magnets 17 areused. These are shown equipped with windings in series with the armatureof the power motor 16 and connected to a battery 18. In'order for thepilot motor to rotate in the on direction it is necessary that theattraction of the coils 9 to the poles 15 shall be greater than that ofthe coils to the governing magnets 17. When this condition exists thecoils 19, 20, 21, etc., will be successively drawn toward the poles 15and the armature will rotate in the direction of the arrow 22, theinfluence of the magnets 17 not being suflicient to retard the rotationof the armature. If, however, too much current be supplied to the powermotor 16 so that the strength ofthe governor fields 17 equals theattraction of the coils to the constant magnets 15, then these governorfields which are in series with the armature of the power motor, willattract the coil 23 the position shown in Fig. 2) and will arrest therotion of the pilot motor. If the strength of the governing magnets 17be still further increased, as will result from an overload upon thepower motor, then the three coils which are energized atthe time, 19,20, 21 for instance, will tend to center toward the governing magnets,resulting in reversing the direction of rotation of the pilot motor andthe controller drum and in consequence cutting down the current to thepower motor.

Among the many advantages of my invention it may be noted that I amenabled to entirely dispense with solenoids and mechanical brakes. Theconnections of the coils 9 of the pilot motor with the master switchinsure absolute synchronism of movement, while the governing magnetsrender it unimportant what kind of master switch may be employed sinceif only a simple starting device were used by which the line current wasadmitted through all the leads 13 at once, the pilot motor would move tothe on position ste by step, retarded by the series current of t e powermotor energizing the governing magnets. Hence if in operation the flowshould be interrupted and the controller returned to the starting pointbut the operator should fail to shut ofl the master switch, a suddenresumption of current could not cause the pilot motor to suddenly flyback to its former position in synchronism with the master switch as thepilot motor is, by reason of the governing magnets, incapable of any buta gradual step by step movement.

I am aware that itis not new to provlde a stationary magnetic fieldconsisting of a series of sectional windings each separately connectedwith the contact surfaces of a starting switch but I am not aware of amotor having been provided with a rotary element or armature of thatconstruction and electrical connection.

I am also aware that prior to my inven tion electric controllers havebeen known in which the armature of a relay motor is under the influenceof two fields, one on a shunt of the power line and the other in serieswith a power motor, the shunt field being energized by closing astarting switch and tending to turn the armature to cut out theresistance and the series field exerting a retarding force. \Vhile thisconstruction or may be, capable of eflecting a gradual and successivecutting out of the resistance in the line to a power motor, yet it isincapable of attaining the essential purpose contemplated by myinvention. namely, the limiting of. the steps of the controller at thewill of the operator. This is owing to the fact that in the practicalembodiment of the known controller above outlined the closing of thestarting switch energizes the shunt field and starts the controllerwhich must necessarily continue its steps automatically. only retardedfrom too rapid rotation by the series field, until the resistance hasbeen entirely out out. If, however, for any rea son it be desired tohold the controller temporarily or permanently at any intermediatepoint, or in other words to limit the action at the will of an operator,this known construction will be found inadequate for the reason that theopening of the starting switch will immediately and completelydeenergize the shunt coil and thus the latter will exertno force tendingto move the controller, while the series coil will reverse the rotationof the armature and throw the controller back to the starting point. Bymy invention the energy of fields 15 does not alone cause the controllerto move as it is entirely dependent upon the operation of the masterswitch and this may be turned to any desired extent and held at anypoint.

. the rise of energy in the governing magnets or series field 17 willretard the rotation of the controller armature, retaining the resistanceand consequently lessening the current passing to the power motor 16.until it falls belowthe attraction of coils 9 to the constant fields 15after which the latter will exerttheir influence upon the energizedcoils to turn the controller armature when the master switch isoperated. Thus -I not only render the controller movement subject to theintelligence of an operator, but provide a. safeguard against carelessoperation.

I claim as my invention 1. A circuit controlling mechanism comprising apilot motor having permanent fields and a rotary armature, sectionalwindings upon said armature, a master switch, and independent electricconnections between successive sections of said windings and successivecontact surfaces on said-master switch, whereby the polarity of thearmature may be progressively shifted as the master switch is operated.-

2. A circuit controlling mechanism comprising a. pilot motor havingsectional windings upon its rotary member or armature, and havingcommutator sections each separately connected to one section of the.windings, a master switch, and independent conductors for connecting thesuccessive contacts on the master switch with successive commutatorsections.

3. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor foroperating the controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings and having a series of commutator sections connected,respectively, to said windings, a series of contact brushes adapted tobe engaged successively by said commutator sections as the pilot motorrotates, and a master switch arranged to connect said brushessuccessively with the supply circuit.

4. A circuit controllin mechanism comprising a pilot motor havingsectional windings and having commutator sections each separatelyconnected to one section of said windings, brushes or contacts adaptedto engage said commutator sections-in succession as the motor rot-ates,a master switch, and electrical connections between said brushes orcontacts and said master switch.

5. A circuit controlling mechanism com- A prising a pilot motor havinsectional windings upon its rotary mem er or armature and havingcommutator sections each separately connected to one section of. the wndings, brushes or contacts adapted to engage said commutator sectionsin succession as the motor rotates, a master switch, and electricalconnections between said brushes or contacts and said master switch.

6. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating the controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings, and having a series of commutator sectionseachconnected to a separate section of the windings, a series of contactbrushes adapted to be engaged successively by said commutator sectionsas the pilot motor rotates, means for connecting said brushes to thesupply circuit, and means controlled by the current in the armaturecircuit of the power motor for governing the movement ofthe pilot motor.

7. The combination with apower motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating the controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings and having a series of commutator sections eachconnected to a separate section of the windings, a series of contactbrushes adapted to be engaged successively by said commutator sectionsas the pilot motor rotates, means for connect-- ing said brushes to thesupply circuit, and a governor field for said pilot motor .havingwindings in series with the armature of the power motor.

8. Means for controlling the transmission of electric power co-mprismg acontroller, a pilot motor foroperating said controller, a master switch,electrical connections between the master switch and the pilot motor,whereby the latter may move step by step in accordance with the movementof the mas-. ter switch, and a governor field for said pilot motorenergized by the current passing. through said controller.

9. The combination with a power motor and a controller for the same, ofa. pilot motor operatively connected to said controller, said pilotmotor comprising stationary and movable members one of which is providedwith sectional windings, a master switch, electrical connections betweensaid sectional windings and said. master switch.

and means controlled by the current in the armature circuit, of thepower motor for regulating the movement of the pilot motor. 10. Thecombination with a power motor and a controller for the same, of a pilotmotor operatively connected to said controller, said pilot motorcomprising stationary and movable members one of which is provided withsectional windings, a master switch, electrical connections between saidsectional windings and said master switch, and means for regulating themovement of the pilot motor comprising a magnet having windings inseries with the armature of the power motor.

11,. The combination with a power motor and a controller for the same,of a pilot motor operatively connected to said controller, said pilotmotor comprising stationary and rotary members, the latter havingsectional windings, a master switch, electrical connections between saidmaster switch and said sectional windings, and means controlled by thecurrent in the armature circuit of the power motor for governing themovements of the pilot motor.

12. The combination with a power motor and a controller for the same, ofa pilot motor operatively connected to said controller, said pilot motorcomprising stationary and rotary members, the latter having sectionalwindings, a master switch, electrical connections between said masterswitch and said sectional windings, and a governing magnet arrangedadjacent to said rotary member and having windings in series with thearmature of the power motor.

13. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor of apilot motor for operating said controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings, a master switch, connections whereby, when the master switch is operated, a progressively shifting field will be producedin the pilot motor and means controlled by the current in the armaturecircuit of the power motor for governing the movement of the pilot motorand the controller toward the on position.

14. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating the controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings and a series of commutator segments connected,respec-' tively, to said windings, a series of contact brushes adaptedto be engaged successively by said commutator segments as the pilotmotor rotates, a master switch arranged to connect said brushessuccessively with the supply circuit, and means controlled by thecurrent in the armature circuit of the power motor for governing themovement of the pilot motor.

15. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating the controller, said pilot motor havinsectional windings and having a series 0 commutator segments connected,respectively, to said windings, a series of contact brushes adapted tobe engaged successively by said commutator segments as the pilot motorrotates, a master switch arranged to connect said brushes successivelywith the supply circuit, and a stationary governing field magnetadjacent to the armature of the pilot motor and having windings inseries with the armature of the power motor.

16. The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating said controller, an operating field for therotary element of said pilot motor, means for moving said rotary element step by step in the on direction under the influence of'saidoperating field, and a governing field deriving its energy from thepower motor adapted to exert its infiuence upon said rotary element andnormally of less strength than said operating field, whereby theincrease of magnetism of said governing field to that of the operatingfield will lock said rotary element as against rotation.

17 The combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of apilot motor for operating said controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings on its rotary element, an operating field, means formaintaining a lurality of said sectional windings energizedsimultaneously and under the influence of said operating field, and agoverning field adjacent said 0 rating field and controlled by thecurrent in the armature circuit of the power motor, said governing fieldbeing normally of less strength than said operating field and tendi toattract said energized sectional windings when its magnetism exceedsthat of the operatin field.

18. he combination with a power motor and a controller therefor, of ailot motor for operating said controller, said pilot motor havingsectional windings on its rotary element, an operating field, means forsuccessively advancing said sectional windings into the influence ofsaid operating field, and a governing field adjacent said rotary elementand in advance of said operating field and controlled by the current inthe armature circuit of the power motor, whereby said sectional windingssuccessively pass through the influence of said governing field to thatof the operating field while the magnetism of the latter is greater thanthat of said governing field.

19. In a circuit cont-rolling mechanism the combination with the pilotmotor having sectional windings on its rotary element, of an operatincessively exciting said sectional windings and simultaneously holdin aplurality of said excited sectional win ings under the influence of saidfield and means for cutting out one or more of said sectional windings,whereby the remaining energized windin or windings will center towardsaid fiel and partially rotate said rotary element.

20. In a circuit controlling mechanism,

the combination with the pilot motor having coils on its armature orrotary element, and having a commutator provided with sections,independent electrical connections between each of said coils and one ofsaid sections, a series of supply brushes adapted to be engagedsuccessively by said commutator sections as the pilot motor rotates, a

field, means for sucseries of grounded brushes also successively engagedby said commutator sections, said sections being adapted tosimultaneously maintain the circuit completed through a plurality ofsaid supply brushes, the corresponding coils and their respectivegrounded brushes, of a master switch adapted to successively connectsaid supply brushes with the supply circuit, and an operating fieldadapted to exert its influence 10 upon said energized coils.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

' RICHARD VAN R. SILL.

Witnesses:

ANNIE D. CHENOWETH, MABEL BARTLETT.

